DHAKA: Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentarian State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, praised Bangladesh saying it is in an excellent and dynamic position to increase its share on the world market.

He paid a three-day visit to Bangladesh from October 24 to 26.

The main objective of his visit was to get further insights into the current state of the Bangladeshi RMG sector, said a press release issued by third Secretary Mathias Keller of Political Affairs and Press in German Embassy.

During his trip to Dhaka, he visited Rana Plaza site and the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) in Savar where he planted a tree to commemorate the victims of the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse.

He also met Minister of Commerce Tofail Ahmed, factory owners and union representatives.

The state secretary said, “however, the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse put the lack of factory safety, the insufficient building standards and the inadequate salaries and working conditions of garment workers on the global agenda.”

The European Union is the biggest export market for the Bangladeshi RMG products, while Germany is the most important market within the EU.

The Parliamentarian State Secretary added that European consumers are getting more conscious regarding production and safety standards in Bangladesh’s RMG factories.

A week ago the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development had initiated a new action plan in cooperation with stakeholder in the garment sector.

In his meeting with Fuchtel, Minister of Commerce Tofael Ahmed underlined that Bangladesh is on the right path towards better factory safety and improved working conditions in the RMG sector.

Acknowledging this, Fuchtel emphasized that Germany is not only advocating for worker’s rights and safety standards since Rana Plaza, but that it has been a reliable partner for Bangladesh in terms of improvements in the RMG sector for many years.

The state secretary said, “With our development cooperation Germany will continue to support Bangladeshi companies and the Bangladeshi government. We noted that by providing training, and expertise, our existing initiatives in the RMG sector already contributed to an improvement in safety standards and worker’s rights in Bangladesh”.

He said Germany is one of the leading export nations of the world and therefore, possesses a lot of knowledge that can also be valuable for this country.

In the experience a frank and constructive dialogue between workers, owners and the government can secure a rapid and sustainable development.

Therefore, my country would be happy to invite important stakeholders from Bangladesh – especially representatives of labour unions from the RMG sector – to Germany”, he added.

BDST: 1353 HRS, OCT 27, 2014